limerick next for dubs

Quarter-final place up for grabs

LIMERICK stand between Dublin and a place in this year's All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals after the pair were pulled out together in this morning's draw for Round 2 of the hurling qualifiers.

A 10-point win over Laois on Saturday night kick-started Dublin's summer and put their county in the hat alongside Limerick, who struggled for long periods yesterday against Westmeath in Mullingar.

The Shannonsiders were leading by just four points with seven minutes to go but pulled ahead in the final minutes as they lost defender, Tom Condon, to a serious shoulder injury.

Ger Cunningham's team have already beaten the deposed Munster champions this season, when they won by all of 12 points in the League quarter-final meeting between the teams in Croke Park at the end of March.

The Dubs will still be without full-back Peter Kelly who has not recovered from a hamstring injury sustained against Galway in the Leinster SHC opener in May.

Limerick went on to beat Clare in the Munster SHC but were completely outclassed by Tipperary in the subsequent provincial semi-final.

Scheduled for next Saturday, the match will be the first championship meeting between the teams since the 2011 All-Ireland quarter-final in Thurles, when Anthony Daly's team won by 3-13 to 0-18.

Dublin's only alternative opponents - Clare - will play Cork in what will be the fifth championship meeting of the respective teams in just five years.

In the draw for the next round of football qualifiers, Longford will host Kildare and Fermanagh are at home to Roscommon.